The experts praised Obama’s presidential presence and willingness to discuss specific goals for addressing the nation’s worsening economy, such as the much-discussed second stimulus Congress is considering.

Obama said he wants the bill passed before he goes to Washington. If not, he would make it his first priority in office.

But one observer faulted the president-elect for omitting the obvious: the war in Iraq.

The five-year-long conflict didn’t come up once during the 20-minute-plus briefing.

“He won the primary on the war and didn’t mention it in this press conference at all,” said Democratic strategist Erick Mullen.

“For someone who basically ran and won on the war I think he should have spoken about it.”

Meanwhile, the experts agreed Obama did start to soothe some lingering concerns about his slim experience by trotting out his battalion of economic advisers on stage.

“It says that he has a very diverse and distinguished group of people behind him,” said Howard Wolfson, a former communications director to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Fox News analyst.

“It’s reassuring to the markets and to voters that he has such a strong group of advisers.”

The experts also lauded Obama’s personal touch, such as his question about a reporter’s injured shoulder and his reference to his family’s pursuit of a dog as a “major issue.”

In the same answer, the biracial Obama also jokingly referred to himself as a “mutt.”

“It makes him human,” said former Democratic strategist Bob Shrum.

“He’s very likeable and I think we’re going to find him to become more and more likable. In the last two weeks, he’s begun to let his sense of humor show and for a long time before were saying, ‘Does he have one?’ ”

The experts – all Democrats – also noted the clear contrast in the podium styles of Obama and President Bush, who has been frequently mocked for his strained, fractured sentences and mispronounced words.

Obama was slow and deliberate and seemed to slide easily between policy and humor.

The experts gave him points for refusing to answer questions about relations with Iran and whether he wanted to change any of his positions after his intelligence briefing.

“He spoke perfectly good English, which is a major departure from the past eight years,” Mullen said. “He tried to mean what he said and say what he meant. It’s a pretty low bar on presidential poise.”